Question to the Northern Ireland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, with reference to the Answer of 14 July 2026 to Question HL1786 on United Kingdom: Northern Ireland, whether other proposals from the Safeguarding the Union policy paper have been discontinued since July 2024.

The Government is continuing to implement the Safeguarding the Union command paper and to support Northern Ireland's place in the Union: this includes the East-West Council meeting again in January 2026; the allocation of £2.25 million for Intertrade UK over the next three years; the announcement of a pilot twinning programme between schools in England and Northern Ireland; and the launch of the Northern Ireland Defence Growth Deal in April 2026, which includes a £50 million investment to support well-paid and highly-skilled jobs.

I would also refer the Honourable Member to the answer provided by my Noble Friend Baroness Anderson to HL2297 on 28 July, which further outlined how Safeguarding the Union commitments are embedded throughout the work of the Government.